Trials of the Heart: Smallest of Wonders
by KD Skywalker
Summary: This is the Inbetween story between Emerald Dawn and the next untitled one Hailey and Obi Wan welcome the arrival of thier first child...


AN and Disclaimer: I don't own Star Wars….I'm just obsessed with it! Ever wonder how Obi-Wan would act if he became a father? Well here ya'll go! Enjoy!

Smallest of Wonders

Obi-Wan smiled gently at what was nestled against his chest.

Hailey softly mumbled something in her sleep, wrapped her arms tighter around Obi-Wan's abdomen and continued to sleep.

This sight, night after night, always brought a smile to Obi-Wan. And the closer Hailey got to her due date, the more Obi-Wan smiled.

Sure, he smiled during the day, but this was a different kind of smile he had at night. This smile was a smile of undying love, worry, anxiety and fear.

Undying love for his wife and what they were going to bring into the world.

Worry that he wouldn't know how to be a father, since for most of his life he hadn't known his.

Anxiety because he didn't want anything to happen to Hailey or the baby during the rest of the pregnancy and birth.

And lastly fear. Fear because of the unknown. He had never raised a baby! Nor even been around them often. What if he didn't teach his son or daughter everything that they needed to know. Or even worse…what if his child became a Sith?

The only thing that helped curve his fears was Hailey herself. The way that she carried herself during the pregnancy and everything that happened to her before made him realize just how lucky he was to be given a second chance at life.

For the rest of the night, like so many others, Obi-Wan watched over his wife and unborn child.

* * *

"Are you sure Cilghal said everything was alright with the baby?"

Hailey smiled and nodded yes. "Everything is perfect."

"Do you know if it's a girl or boy?"

Hailey only nodded yes.

"Are you going to tell me?"

"Nope," she said with a straight face. "I want it to be a surprise."

"Oh come on Hailey!"

"Just about a week more and then you will know," she replied with an evil smile on her face. She leaned up and gently kissed his cheek before making her way down the hall of the Jedi Academy on Yavin 4. As usual, Gishi scampered after her.

As he watched her walk away, Obi-Wan had a feeling that they were going to have a little boy. He didn't know why, he just did. It could either be a gut feeling or somehow Hailey was using the Force to make him feel that way. But whatever the reason was for this feeling, he only had about a week longer until he knew for sure.

* * *

Hailey sat crying in the middle of the bed. She knew that she shouldn't be crying over something as trivial as this, but she was.

"Please Hailey, stop crying. It's not like I'm going off to war or anything," Obi-Wan said gently pleading with her.

"But I'm due in a week!" she wailed. "You won't be here when I go into labor."

"You and I don't know that," he said still pleading. "It's only for a day long meeting."

"But Kalarba is so far away! It's closer to Naboo then to Courscant!" she said crying harder.

Obi-Wan pulled her close to him and held her to calm her down. "Anakin and Ben were both busy, your father asked Qui-Gon to go, and he asked me to go with him."

"Qui-Gon can handle it on his own," she said sniffling against his chest. "Why do two Jedi need to go?"

"The Kalarbaians asked for it. I don't know why. But I haven't spent much time with my father lately."

Hailey sighed. She knew that Obi-Wan had a point. "When do you leave?"

"Right now."

"Promise to be back in a week?" she asked looking down at the ground.

Obi-Wan smiled, titled her chin up to look at him and wiped away her tears. "Nothing in the galaxy could stop me."

They shared a kiss to seal the deal.

* * *

While Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon were on the goodwill mission to Kalarba, Hailey and the twins headed back to Courscant.

Hailey and Obi-Wan had decided that the baby was going to be born on Courscant, so that after her pregnancy and first few months of being a mother, Hailey could assume her new role as Jedi liaison to the Senate. It was a new position the Cal Omas and the higher ups in the Senate had come up with.

And of course, Leia thought that Hailey would fit this job the best, especially after the role she had played in the potential invasion from another galaxy.

The twins had promised Obi-Wan that they would watch over Hailey for him while he was gone. That made him feel a bit better about leaving Hailey for a few days.

"So did dad make him go with Qui-Gon?" Ben asked.

Hailey shook her head no. "Qui-Gon asked him to go. He hadn't spent much time with his dad the past few months and I know that he won't for a while after this."

Ben smiled at his sister as they continued to watch younglings practice their beginning lightsaber skills.

If there was one thing that Ben had to be proud of his sister for was her being just a few months into her 21st year and it seemed to him that nothing that had happened to her in the past fazed her greatly. Well that wasn't entirely true.

Before Obi-Wan Kenobi came into her life, everything got to her. But once he came along, everything changed. And as along as she was happy, Ben was happy.

"That's good Malian," Hailey said walking towards a male youngling. "But block higher up. Believe me it he….."

Hailey suddenly doubled over in pain. "Master Kenobi!" all the younglings cried out.

Immediately Ben was by his sister's side. "Is it the baby?"

Hailey nodded yes, fighting back tears as she clutched her stomach. Ben swept her into his arms and quickly made his way back through the Jedi complex.

"Dad! I think Hailey's in labor!" Ben said practically running up to Luke with Hailey in his arms.

Luke looked down at his daughter, who was biting her bottom lip and fighting back tears. He gently rubbed her cheek for reassurance.

"Take her to the medical facility and I'll contact Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon," Luke calmly said.

Ben nodded.

* * *

"How long ago did they leave?" Luke asked.

"A few hours ago, Master Skywalker," the man on the holovid said.

"Thank you," Luke said disconnecting the call.

He sat back and sighed as he ran his fingers through his hair. This wasn't what he needed. His daughter was in labor a few days early and his son-in-law wasn't there to witness the birth of his first child. Luke knew that he wouldn't be able to contact Obi-Wan while he and Qui-Gon were in hyperspace.

Hopefully they would make it back to Courscant in time…

* * *

"You've been quiet most of trip," Qui-Gon said turning to look at his son. "Is something bugging you Obi-Wan?"

Obi-Wan sighed and sat back in the co-captain's chair. "A lot is bugging me."

"Well what is it then?" Qui-Gon asked still probing his son for answers.

"There's fear and worry."

"Is it about Hailey and the baby?"

Obi-Wan nodded yes.

"Obi-Wan, these are normal feelings for any new parent to have. Even I had them."

Obi-Wan looked up at his father, with a look on his face that was like 'you have got to be kidding me.' Qui-Gon simply chuckled a little.

"When you were born, I had no idea how to be a father. And with your mother gone, I was left alone basically. Remember it was forbidden for Jedi to have children."

"Yeah I remember that. Now I see it as a horrible rule."

Qui-Gon laughed again. "I always thought that it was a horrible rule. But I always worried that something was going to happen to you or that some how you wouldn't be trained as a Jedi and I would never see you again. Yet in the end, everything turned out for the better."

"Yeah it did." Obi-Wan said smiling slightly. "Thanks dad. You made me feel a lot better."

* * *

"WHERE IS OBI-WAN!" Hailey yelled through the contraction. 

"He and Qui-Gon are on the way back here." Ben said in pain as Hailey squeezed his hand harder. "They are in hyperspace and we can't contact them."

"Then I'm not having this baby! I want Obi-Wan!"

Ben cringed in pain more as his sister kept squeezing his hand. He made a mental note to never leave Jenka when she was pregnant when they decided to have children.

And no matter how hard he pleaded with her to let up, Hailey didn't. She was in pain and Ben was going to be as well.

Ben silently wished that his mom or dad were in his place at the moment. He knew imagined that his sister had a death grip nor that she was so strong.

* * *

"How long until she is ready to deliver?" Mara asked.

"A few more hours," the medic said, coming out of Hailey's hospital room, after he had checked in on her.

Mara told the doctor thank you and sighed as he walked away.

"Do you think that they will make it in time?" she asked turning to look at Luke.

"I hope so. The twins and Gishi are waiting in the Jedi hanger bay for them."

* * *

Obi-Wan felt it as soon as he was off the transport. Something was wrong with Hailey. But he couldn't figure out where she was or what was wrong with her.

"Let's head to the Jedi complex and see what we can find out there," Qui-Gon suggested.

Obi-Wan nodded in agreement.

They were half way out of the hanger bay, when Gishi pounced on Obi-Wan's shoulder and began squeaking and jumping up and down on his shoulder.

The actions of Gishi worried him even more. ever since the battle with Adrella, Gishi rarely left Hailey's side, even when Obi-Wan was with her.

"Obi-Wan! Obi-Wan!" the twins yelled as they ran through the hanger bay. "You have to hurry! Hailey's in labor!" they yelled at the same time.

"How long?" he asked, running the rest of the way to meet them.

"A few hours," Rai said, out of breath.

"Master Skywalker just called us and told us that she is about to give birth anytime," Rachel added.

Obi-Wan handed Gishi over to Rai and took off running towards the medical facility.

"Come on girls, we better head that way too." Qui-Gon said.

The twins smiled. They couldn't wait to see Hailey and Obi-Wan's baby! They were going to be aunts!

* * *

Hailey lay back against the bed as tears gently slipped down her cheeks. She was about to start pushing and Obi-Wan was nowhere to be found. Why wasn't he with her? Did something happen to him and Qui-Gon? 

"Ready to begin?" asked the medic.

Hailey shook her head no. She wanted her husband there. She needed her husband there.

"Hailey you have to." Ben whispered to his sister. That was the wrong thing to say.

She just squeezed his hand tighter.

But then she let up.

"OBI-WAN!" she yelled, as her husband came running, somewhat winded, into the room.

She held her arms out to her husband as he gently hugged her then took Ben's place by her side. Ben happily gave up the position.

"Good luck with her," Ben whispered to Obi-Wan. "She has a death grip."

Obi-Wan laughed slightly as he took a hold of Hailey's hand.

"I'm sorry I'm late," he whispered as he kissed her sweat-matted hair. Hailey didn't say anything, but Obi-Wan could feel her relief through the Force.

"Ok now can we begin?" the medic asked.

Hailey nodded yes, as she began to push when the medic told her to.

After what seemed like a lifetime to Hailey, it was all over. And now she could rest. But not without witnessing something first.

As she was falling asleep, she saw the medic gently hand over the tiny bundle wrapped in a soft pink blanket to Obi-Wan. The smile on Obi-Wan's face and the few tears of joy told it all. This was a very special day in their lives.

She had given birth to their daughter, Leigh Shmi Kenobi.

* * *

_A month later…._

Leigh's cries pierced the silence of the bedroom.

Hailey began to get up to tend to her daughter, but Obi-Wan stopped her.

"I'll do it," he said kissing her cheek.

Hailey agree without arguing and lay back down in bed, while Obi-Wan got up. He walked over to the tiny crib in the corner of the room and picked up his newborn daughter. She immediately stopped crying when she was in her father's arms.

Obi-Wan carried her into the living room and began to walk back and forth around the room, trying to get Leigh to fall back asleep. Eventually it worked.

As he set Leigh back in her crib, he couldn't help but smile. Now his daughter was here, which gave him only more things to love. He still could not believe that he and Hailey had brought something so tiny and precious to life. But they did.

It was always the smallest of wonders that got to him.


End file.
